Durable, collapsible, and configurable strainer basket for pool equipment
A durable and collapsible strainer basket for pool equipment includes a rigid annular top portion having a radially extending rim; and a flexible basket extending downward from the rigid annular top portion, the rim of the rigid annular top portion including a downward facing surface that extends radially outward beyond the flexible basket and that is positioned to rest on a ledge of a pool equipment cavity, wherein the flexible basket includes a tapered outer shape formed by two or more flexible silicone annular sections having a plurality of holes passing therethrough, wherein the two or more flexible silicone annular sections are configured to be collapsible such that the flexible basket includes a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/938,193, titled DURABLE, COLLAPSIBLE, AND CONFIGURABLE STRAINER BASKET FOR POOL EQUIPMENT, filed on Jul. 24, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/863,749, titled DURABLE, COLLAPSIBLE, AND CONFIGURABLE STRAINER BASKET FOR POOL EQUIPMENT, filed on Apr. 30, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/845,691, titled DURABLE, COLLAPSIBLE, AND CONFIGURABLE STRAINER BASKET FOR POOL EQUIPMENT, filed on May 9, 2019. Each of the foregoing applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND FieldThis disclosure relates generally to strainer baskets, and more specifically to strainer baskets for pool equipment.
DescriptionSwimming pool equipment operates in relatively harsh environments, subject to extreme temperatures and harsh chemicals. Debris is also constantly being collected in swimming pools and needs to be filtered out or otherwise removed in order to keep the pool clean and sanitary. Typically, a swimming pool comprises one or more pumps that draw water and debris from the pool and force them through a filter that filters out even very small particulate debris. In order to extend the life of such filters and pumps, however, it can be desirable to utilize one or more pre-filters to filter out relatively large debris, such as leaves, before that debris gets to the pump. Many swimming pools include one or more skimmers that are designed to collect such larger debris. A skimmer typically including a removable strainer basket that collects such debris as pool water is sucked through the basket. Skimmer baskets often break and need to be replaced regularly, due to the harsh environment they operate in and/or due to abuse of the basket by a user maintaining the pool. As such, there is a need for improved baskets that are more durable and/or solve a number of other problems discussed herein.
SUMMARYThe disclosure herein presents durable, collapsible, and/or configurable strainer baskets for pool equipment. In some embodiments, a strainer basket comprises a rigid annular member connected to a flexible basket portion. In some embodiments, the rigid annular member may have a variety of features that enable it to be used in a variety of different configurations of pool equipment. The features may include, for example, one or more interrupted portions in an outer diameter of the rigid annular member, one or more tabs or posts protruding from the rigid annular member, and/or the like. Further, in some embodiments, a second rigid annular member is configured to be coupled to the first rigid annular member to enable the strainer basket to be used with even more configurations of pool equipment. For example, the second rigid annular member may have an outer diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the first rigid annular member. In some embodiments, the flexible basket portion comprises a durable, heat resistant material, such as silicone. Further, in some embodiments, the flexible basket portion is shaped in a generally tapered configuration and comprises one or more annular fold regions that allow the flexible basket member to collapse down to a smaller size.
According to some embodiments, a durable and configurable strainer basket for pool equipment comprises: a first rigid annular member comprising a central opening, a radially extending rim, and a longitudinally extending basket support portion, the first rigid annular member comprising a rigid polymer material, the radially extending rim comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a first pool equipment cavity having a first diameter, the rim further comprising a lower surface sized to rest on a ledge of the first pool equipment cavity; a handle having a first end and a second end, the first end of the handle connected to the first rigid annular member at a first location, and the second end of the handle connected to the first rigid annular member at a second location opposite the first location; a second rigid annular member removably coupleable to the first rigid annular member, the second rigid annular member comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a second pool equipment cavity having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, but not to fit within the first pool equipment cavity having the first diameter; and a flexible basket permanently attached to the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member, wherein the flexible basket comprises a tapered outer shape formed by at least two flexible silicone annular sections that each have a plurality of holes passing therethrough, wherein the at least two flexible silicone annular sections are configured to be collapsible within one another such that the flexible basket comprises a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and wherein the at least two flexible silicone annular sections comprises a bottom flexible silicone annular section that is connected to a horizontal silicone floor of the flexible basket, the bottom flexible silicone annular section configured such that it is positioned fully below the first rigid annular member when the flexible basket is in the expanded configuration, and positioned at least partially within the central opening of the first rigid annular member when the flexible basket is in the collapsed configuration.
In some embodiments, the at least two flexible silicone annular sections of the flexible basket comprises at least three flexible silicone annular sections. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprises a longitudinally downwardly extending member that is adhered with an adhesive at a joint on a side surface to a side surface of a longitudinally upwardly extending member of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, the at least two flexible silicone annular sections and the horizontal silicone floor comprise a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket below a longitudinal center point of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the at least two flexible silicone annular sections and the horizontal silicone floor comprises a thickness of at least 2 millimeters. In some embodiments, the longitudinally extending basket support portion comprises a plurality of tapered tabs positioned to retain the second rigid annular member in place between a bottom surface of the radially extending rim and a top surface of the tapered tabs. In some embodiments, the rim of the first rigid annular member comprises at least one radially recessed portion configured to enable locking of the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity by rotating the strainer basket about a longitudinal axis after inserting the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity. In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises a one-piece molded silicone structure.
According to some embodiments, a durable and configurable strainer basket for pool equipment comprises: a first rigid annular member comprising a central opening, a radially extending rim, and a longitudinally extending basket support portion, the rim comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a first pool equipment cavity having a first diameter, the rim further comprising a lower surface sized to rest on a ledge of the first pool equipment cavity; a second rigid annular member removably coupleable to the first rigid annular member, the second rigid annular member comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a second pool equipment cavity having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, but not to fit within the first pool equipment cavity having the first diameter; and a flexible basket permanently attached to the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member, wherein the flexible basket comprises a silicone material having a plurality of holes passing therethrough.
In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises a tapered outer shape formed by at least two annular sections configured to be collapsible within one another. In some embodiments, the first and second rigid annular members comprise a polymer having greater rigidity than the silicone material of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, the second rigid annular member is removably coupleable to the first rigid annular member using at least one of the following methods: a snap fit, a friction fit, or a twist lock. In some embodiments, the longitudinally extending basket support portion comprises a plurality of tapered tabs positioned to retain the second rigid annular member in place between the lower surface of the radially extending rim and a top surface of the tapered tabs. In some embodiments, the radially extending rim of the first rigid annular member comprises one or more cavities extending upward from the lower surface of the rim, and wherein the second rigid annular member comprises one or more protruding members extending upward from a surface of the second rigid annular member, the one or more protruding members sized and positioned to extend into the one or more cavities of the rim when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member. In some embodiments, when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member, the lower surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member abuts an upper surface of the second rigid annular member, and a lower surface of the second rigid annular member is sized and positioned to rest on a ledge of the second pool equipment cavity. In some embodiments, when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member, the rim of the first rigid annular member is at least partially recessed within a cavity of the second rigid annular member such that a top surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member does not protrude upwardly beyond a top surface of the second rigid annular member, or such that the top surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member protrudes upwardly beyond the top surface of the second rigid annular member by a distance less than a height of the rim of the first rigid annular member. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket below a longitudinal center point of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket within a bottom ⅓ of a longitudinal height of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises a weight coupled to or molded within the silicone material. In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises one or more stiffening ribs coupled to or molded within the silicone material to increase a rigidity of the flexible basket in one or more regions of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprises a longitudinally downwardly extending member that is adhered at a joint on a side surface to a side surface of a longitudinally upwardly extending member of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is approximately 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 4 millimeters. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprise a cavity extending upward within the basket support portion, and wherein the flexible basket comprises an upper portion extending within and coupled to the cavity of the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the flexible basket comprises silicone material molded to the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the flexible basket comprises silicone material adhered to the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the cavity of the basket support portion comprises at least one radially protruding member engaging the upper portion of the flexible basket to resist pullout of the upper portion of the flexible basket from the cavity of the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the strainer basket further comprises a rod coupled to the first rigid annular member and extending across the central opening of the first rigid annular member, the rod configured to enable a user to position the strainer basket within the first or second pool equipment cavities. In some embodiments, the rim of the first rigid annular member comprises at least one recessed portion configured to enable locking of the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity by the user twisting the strainer basket using the rod after inserting the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity.
According to some embodiments, a durable and collapsible strainer basket for pool equipment comprises: a first rigid annular member comprising a central opening, a radially extending rim, and a longitudinally extending basket support portion, the rim comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a first pool equipment cavity having a first diameter, the rim further comprising a lower surface sized to rest on a ledge of the first pool equipment cavity; a flexible basket permanently attached to the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member, wherein the flexible basket comprises a tapered outer shape formed by at least two flexible silicone annular sections that each have a plurality of holes passing therethrough, wherein the at least two flexible silicone annular sections are configured to be collapsible such that the flexible basket comprises a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and wherein the at least two flexible silicone annular sections comprises a bottom flexible silicone annular section that is connected to a horizontal floor of the flexible basket, the bottom flexible silicone annular section configured such that it is positioned fully below the first rigid annular member when the flexible basket is in the expanded configuration and positioned at least partially within the central opening of the first rigid annular member when the flexible basket is in the collapsed configuration.
In some embodiments, the first rigid annular member comprises a rigid polymer material. In some embodiments, a height of the strainer basket, measured longitudinally from an uppermost surface of the strainer basket to a lowermost surface of the strainer basket, comprises a first height when the flexible basket is in the collapsed configuration and a second height when the flexible basket is in the expanded configuration, wherein the first height is no more than 50% of the second height. In some embodiments, the first height is no more than 40% of the second height. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprises a longitudinally downwardly extending member that is adhered with an adhesive at a joint on a side surface to a side surface of a longitudinally upwardly extending member of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 10 millimeters. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket below a longitudinal center point of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a thickness of at least 2 millimeters.
According to some embodiments, a durable and configurable strainer basket for pool equipment comprises: a first rigid annular member comprising a central opening, a radially extending rim, and a longitudinally extending basket support portion, the rim comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a first pool equipment cavity having a first diameter, the rim further comprising a lower surface sized to rest on a shelf of the first pool equipment cavity; a second rigid annular member removably coupleable to the first rigid annular member, the second rigid annular member comprising an outer surface sized to fit within a second pool equipment cavity having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, but not to fit within the first pool equipment cavity having the first diameter; and a flexible basket permanently attached to the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member, wherein the flexible basket comprises a silicone material having a plurality of holes passing therethrough.
In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises a tapered outer shape formed by at least three annular sections configured to be collapsible within one another. In some embodiments, the first and second rigid annular members comprise a polymer having greater rigidity than the silicone material of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, the second rigid annular member is removably coupleable to the first rigid annular member using at least one of the following methods: a snap fit, a friction fit, or a twist lock. In some embodiments, the longitudinally extending basket support portion comprises a plurality of tapered tabs positioned to retain the second rigid annular member in place between a bottom surface of the radially extending rim and a top surface of the tapered tabs. In some embodiments, the radially extending rim of the first rigid annular member comprises one or more cavities extending upward from the lower surface of the rim, and wherein the second rigid annular member comprises one or more protruding members extending upward from a surface of the second rigid annular member, the one or more protruding members sized and positioned to form a friction fit with the one or more cavities of the rim when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member. In some embodiments, when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member, the lower surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member abuts an upper surface of the second rigid annular member, and a lower surface of the second rigid annular member is sized and positioned to rest on a shelf of the second pool equipment cavity. In some embodiments, when the second rigid annular member is coupled to the first rigid annular member, the rim of the first rigid annular member is at least partially recessed within a cavity of the second rigid annular member such that a top surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member does not protrude upwardly beyond a top surface of the second rigid annular member, or such that the top surface of the rim of the first rigid annular member protrudes upwardly beyond the top surface of the second rigid annular member by a distance less than a height of the rim of the first rigid annular member. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket below a longitudinal center point of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the silicone material of the flexible basket comprises a shape and thickness sufficient to position a center of gravity of the strainer basket within a bottom ⅓ of a longitudinal height of the strainer basket. In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises a weight coupled to or molded within the silicone material. In some embodiments, the flexible basket comprises one or more stiffening ribs coupled to or molded within the silicone material to increase a rigidity of the flexible basket in one or more regions of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprises a longitudinally downwardly extending member that is adhered at a joint on a side surface to a side surface of a longitudinally upwardly extending member of the flexible basket. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is approximately 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 5 millimeters. In some embodiments, a height of the joint is at least 4 millimeters. In some embodiments, the basket support portion of the first rigid annular member comprise a cavity extending upward within the basket support portion, and wherein flexible basket comprises an upper portion extending within and coupled to the cavity of the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the flexible basket comprises silicone material molded to the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the upper portion of the flexible basket comprises silicone material adhered to the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the cavity of the basket support portion comprises at least one radially protruding member engaging the upper portion of the flexible basket to resist pullout of the upper portion of the flexible basket from the cavity of the basket support portion. In some embodiments, the strainer basket further comprises a rod coupled to the first rigid annular member and extending across the central opening of the first rigid annular member, the rod configured to enable a user to position the strainer basket within the first or second pool equipment cavities. In some embodiments, the rim of the first rigid annular member comprises at least one recessed portion configured to enable locking of the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity by the user twisting the strainer basket using the rod after inserting the strainer basket into the first pool equipment cavity.
For purposes of this summary, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the inventions are described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the inventions. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventions may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
The foregoing and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the drawings of various embodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the disclosure. The features of some embodiments of the present disclosure, which are believed to be novel, will be more fully disclosed in the following detailed description. The following detailed description may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein the same numbers in different drawings represents the same parts. All drawings are schematic and are not intended to show any dimension to scale. The drawings comprise the following figures in which:
Although several embodiments, examples, and illustrations are disclosed below, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the inventions described herein extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments, examples, and illustrations and include other uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Embodiments of the inventions are described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout. These drawings are considered to be a part of the entire description of some embodiments of the inventions. The terminology used in the description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simply because it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the inventions. In addition, embodiments of the inventions can comprise several novel features and no single feature is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or is essential to practicing the inventions herein described.
The disclosure herein provides a variety of embodiments of durable, collapsible, and/or configurable strainer baskets for pool equipment. Such strainer baskets may be used in, for example, a pool skimmer, a pool pump, and/or the like. A strainer basket as disclosed herein may comprise, for example, a rigid annular member coupled to a flexible basket. For example, the rigid annular member may comprise a rigid polymer, and the flexible basket may comprise a flexible silicone material. The rigid annular member may be sized and configured to be used with a variety of different configurations of pool equipment, such as a variety of types of pool skimmers. Further, in some embodiments, the rigid annular member may be configured to be coupled with a second rigid annular member that, for example, increases an effective outer diameter of the strainer basket to enable the strainer basket to more efficiently work with additional configurations of pool skimmers. In some embodiments, the flexible basket is configured to be collapsible upon itself to reduce an overall size of the strainer basket, such as for more efficient shipping or storage.
A typical strainer basket for pool equipment can operate in a relatively harsh environment. For example, the strainer basket may be exposed to harsh chemicals, high temperatures from the pool equipment itself and/or the environment, and significant shock loads when, for example, a pool maintenance person slams the strainer basket on a concrete deck to empty the basket of debris. Each of these conditions can lead to rapid failure of a typical pool strainer basket, thus increasing the potential for damage to pool equipment and also the need to replace the strainer basket quite often, such as once a year or more. Further, since various pool equipment uses various configurations of strainer baskets, it can be burdensome for a pool supply store or manufacturer to keep in stock a sufficient number of strainer baskets for each type of pool equipment. A typical strainer basket is relatively bulky, and keeping a significant inventory of each individual type of basket can be both cost prohibitive and unpractical, due to the amount of space the inventory would take up. Another problem with typical strainer baskets is that they are generally made of relatively cheap and lightweight materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). This can be problematic with respect to durability, and can also be problematic with respect to the buoyancy of the strainer basket. When a strainer basket made of a lightweight material is placed in a pool skimmer, the strainer basket may tend to float to the surface of the water, thus allowing debris to go around the strainer basket and potentially damage pool equipment.
The strainer baskets disclosed herein provide various benefits over typical strainer baskets for pool equipment. For example, strainer baskets disclosed herein comprise durable materials, such as silicone, that can stand up better to the harsh environment than a typical strainer basket. Further, strainer baskets disclosed herein may comprise a heavier-weight material, such as silicone, that can help to keep the strainer basket in the desired position in a pool skimmer, instead of tending to float to the surface of the water. Further, strainer baskets disclosed herein may comprise a collapsible basket portion that enables the overall size of the strainer basket to be reduced for shipping and storage. Additionally, strainer baskets disclosed herein may comprise a design that works with a number of different configurations of pool skimmers, thus enabling less inventory to be stored to cover a larger number of configurations of pool skimmers. In some embodiments, such a design may include one or more add-on components, such as a ring, that change the effective outer diameter of the top rim of the strainer basket.
Example Pool Strainer BasketWith reference to
The radially extending rim 106 comprises a number of features that can enable the strainer basket 100 to be used with a variety of different pool skimmer designs. For example, the outer surface 110 does not necessarily need to form a complete circle (and does not in this example embodiment). In this embodiment, the outer surface 110 comprises two radially recessed regions 111 (see
The handle 115 in this example embodiment comprises a shaft or rod having a first end 115a and a second end 115b. The first end 115a is coupled to the rigid annular member 102 at a first location, and the second end 115b is coupled to the rigid annular member 102 at a second location opposite the first location. In this embodiment, the first and second locations comprise holes in the rigid annular member 102 through which the first and second ends 115a, 115b of the handle 115 pass. Other embodiments may couple the handle 115 to the rigid annular member 102 differently. Some embodiments may not include a handle. Further, some embodiments may utilize a different handle design. For example, instead of using a straight shaft, the handle may comprise a curved shape (such as semicircular) that is pivotally coupled to the rigid annular member 102 (such as at the same first and second locations that the handle 115 is coupled to). In such an embodiment, the curved handle may be configured to be oriented generally horizontally when not being used by a user, and may be configured to be pivotable to a generally vertical orientation when being used by a user (such as when used to extract the strainer basket from a pool skimmer cavity).
With continued reference to
The outer surface 110 of the radially extending rim 106 may comprise an outer diameter 110d (see
Returning to
With reference to
It should be noted that, in the collapsed configuration shown in
In this embodiment, the flexible basket 114 comprises a single unitary structure (e.g., a one-piece structure) that is desirably produced by molding silicone. For example, in this embodiment, the three annular sections 121, 122, 123 and the two fold regions 124, 125 are all part of a single unitary silicone structure. This can be desirable for many reasons, such as increased durability, more efficient manufacturing, easier control of material thickness and weight, and/or the like. Further, having the annular sections 121, 122, and 123 be flexible (in addition to the fold regions 124 and 125) can be desirable to, for example, be more durable when a user strikes the side of the basket against a hard surface, enable a user to more easily turn the basket “inside out” for cleaning, and/or the like. Various other embodiments may use other configurations, such as having the annular sections be separate structures (flexible or rigid) that are connected to the fold regions (such as by adhering them, insert molding them, and/or the like) to form an assembly. Further, some embodiments may include one or more rigid portions of the flexible basket 114, while other portions are flexible. For example, one or more of the annular sections 121, 122, 123 and/or the bottom portion 172 may comprise a rigid structure in some embodiments.
As can be seen in
With reference to
In the embodiment of
Further, in some embodiments, other joinery techniques may be used, in addition to or in lieu of adhesives. For example, the flexible basket 114 may be insert molded to the rigid member 102. Further, although this embodiment illustrates a single longitudinally extending member 130 extending downward from the rigid annular member 102, and a single longitudinally extending member 132 extending upward from the flexible basket 114, other embodiments may comprise more than one longitudinally extending member. For example, a recess may be formed between two longitudinally extending members of the rigid member 102 and/or basket 114 that allow for adhesion to occur on both radially inner and radially outer sides of the recess.
In some embodiments, the flexible basket 114 may completely surround or enclose the rigid annular member 102, such as by having the rigid annular member 102 be insert molded within the material that forms the flexible basket 114. It can be desirable to have a majority of the rigid annular member 102 be exposed (such as most or all of the portions of the rigid annular member 102 that are not part of the joint between members 130 and 132), however, so that the rigid surfaces of the rigid annular member 102 (such as outer surface 110 and lower surface 112) can be used to guide and position the strainer basket with respect to the corresponding pool equipment cavity surfaces. If silicone from the flexible basket 114 covered the outer and lower surfaces 110, 112 of the rigid annular member 102, this may introduce various disadvantages, such as greater tolerance variances, greater friction between the strainer basket and the pool equipment cavity surfaces, and/or the like. Accordingly, although it is possible to have the rigid annular member 102 be enclosed within the flexible basket material, it is desirable to have a majority of the rigid annular member 102 be exposed.
Example Modular Pool Strainer BasketsSome embodiments of pool strainer baskets disclosed herein comprise the ability to have one or more additional structures added to the rigid annular member to adapt the strainer basket to a wider variety of pool equipment, such as pool skimmer, configurations.
One difference from the rigid annular member 102 is that the basket support portion 108 of rigid annular member 202 comprises a longer longitudinally extending member 130. In the embodiment of
Another difference from the rigid annular member 102 is that the longitudinally extending basket support portion 108 of annular rigid member 202 comprises a plurality of tabs 250 extending radially outward therefrom. The tabs 250 desirably comprise a tapered shape that is thinner closer to the bottom of the basket support portion 108 and thicker further from the bottom of the basket support portion 108. Further, the tabs 250 desirably comprise a generally flat top surface 252. The tabs 250 can desirably operate to create a snap fit with a second rigid annular member, as further described below. The perspective view of
When in the position shown in
With reference to
In some embodiments, the second rigid annular member 203 is intended to also be removable from the first rigid annular member 202, such as to convert the strainer basket into a different configuration that works with a different pool equipment cavity. In other embodiments, the second rigid annular member 203 is intended to be permanently installed to the first rigid annular member 202, and it may be difficult or impossible to remove the second rigid annular member 203 from the first rigid annual member 202 without damaging one or both of them.
Other methods of attaching a second rigid annular member to a first rigid annular member may be used. For example, one of the rigid annular members may comprise one or more longitudinally recessed portions, and the other rigid annular member may comprise corresponding longitudinally extending protrusions that fit into the longitudinally recessed portions. The protrusions may be held into the recessed portions via friction, adhesive, a snap fit, and/or the like. Further, the inner surface 260 of the second rigid annular member may be sized such that it has somewhat of an interference fit with the outer surface of the basket support portion 108, such that no further retention components are needed.
As one example of an alternative retention method, with reference to
Desirably, in use, when a user wishes to attach the second rigid annular member 303 to the first rigid annular member 302, as shown in
Some embodiments of strainer baskets disclosed herein may comprise different or additional features than those described above. For example, although having a flexible basket provides various benefits, in some embodiments it may be desirable to have at least some portion of the flexible basket be less flexible and/or reinforced. For example, it may be desirable to have the portion of the flexible basket that is intended to be adjacent to a suction hole in a pool skimmer to be reinforced, such as to reduce a possibility that the flexible basket portion could be deformed toward and come into contact with that suction hole, potentially plugging the hole. For example, some or all of the bottom portion 172 (see
As discussed above, it can be desirable for the flexible basket 114 to comprise a flexible material, such as silicone, that has a greater density or weight than a typical strainer basket material (such as ABS). One benefit of such a greater weight is that the strainer basket may tend to remain in place in a pool skimmer cavity better than a lighter strainer basket formed of a lighter rigid material. Further, such a silicone basket may be heavy enough to stay in place without any auxiliary weights. Some rigid strainer baskets, on the other hand, may include a weight attached to the basket to counter the buoyancy of the lightweight rigid material. This can complicate and increase the cost of manufacturing. In some embodiments, however, it may be desirable to include a weight in a strainer basket as disclosed herein. For example, a weight could be adhered to or insert molded within the flexible basket material 114 and/or the material of the rigid annular member 102. The embodiment illustrated in
Another benefit of using a heavier-weight material for the flexible basket 114, such as silicone, is that it may lower the center of gravity of the overall strainer basket 100 as compared to a typical strainer basket formed of a lightweight rigid material. Having a lower center of gravity can also help to retain the strainer basket in an appropriate orientation in a pool equipment cavity. In some embodiments, the design of a strainer basket as disclosed herein is such that the center of gravity is desirably below a vertical midpoint in the height 180 (
Although the designs illustrated in the accompanying figures are generally described with reference to a pool skimmer, they may also be used in other pool equipment, such as pool pumps. Further, the techniques disclosed herein may also be utilized in strainer baskets that have applications in other areas in addition to pool equipment.
Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The headings used herein are for the convenience of the reader only and are not meant to limit the scope of the inventions or claims.
Although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present inventions extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Additionally, the skilled artisan will recognize that any of the above-described methods can be carried out using any appropriate apparatus. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with an embodiment can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. For all of the embodiments described herein the steps of the methods need not be performed sequentially. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
Claims
1. A strainer basket for pool equipment, the strainer basket comprising:
- a rigid annular top portion comprising a central opening and a radially extending rim; and
- a collapsible basket extending downward from the rigid annular top portion,
- the radially extending rim of the rigid annular top portion comprising a downward facing surface that extends radially outward beyond the collapsible basket and that is positioned to rest on a ledge of a pool equipment cavity,
- wherein the collapsible basket comprises a bottom portion and a tapered outer shape, the tapered outer shape formed by two or more annular sections,
- the two or more annular sections and the bottom portion each having a plurality of holes to allow a liquid to pass therethrough,
- wherein the two or more annular sections are configured to be collapsible such that the collapsible basket comprises a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein a height of the strainer basket is smaller with the collapsible basket in the collapsed configuration than with the collapsible basket in the expanded configuration, and
- wherein at least part of the collapsible basket comprises a flexible silicone, and at least part of the collapsible basket comprises a rigid material.
2. The strainer basket of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion of the collapsible basket comprises the rigid material, and the two or more annular sections each comprise the flexible silicone.
3. The strainer basket of claim 2, wherein at least one of the two or more annular sections also comprises the rigid material.
4. The strainer basket of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more annular sections comprises the rigid material.
5. The strainer basket of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the collapsible basket that comprise the rigid material also comprises the flexible silicone, with the rigid material being adhered to or molded within the flexible silicone.
6. The strainer basket of claim 1, wherein the rigid material comprises a metal or a polymer that is stiffer than the flexible silicone.
7. The strainer basket of claim 6, wherein the rigid annular top portion comprises a same metal or polymer as the rigid material.
8. The strainer basket of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the collapsible basket that comprises the flexible silicone comprises a wall thickness of at least 2 millimeters.
9. A strainer basket for pool equipment, the strainer basket comprising:
- an annular top portion comprising a rigid material; and
- a collapsible basket extending downward from the annular top portion,
- wherein the collapsible basket comprises a bottom portion and a tapered outer shape, the tapered outer shape formed by two or more annular sections,
- wherein the two or more annular sections are configured to be collapsible such that the collapsible basket comprises a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein a height of the strainer basket is smaller with the collapsible basket in the collapsed configuration than with the collapsible basket in the expanded configuration,
- wherein the collapsible basket comprise a plurality of holes to allow a liquid to pass therethrough,
- wherein the collapsible basket comprises a flexible material, and
- wherein at least one of the bottom portion or at least one of the two or more annular sections comprises a reinforced region comprising a rigid material.
10. The strainer basket of claim 9, wherein the rigid material of the annular top portion and the rigid material of the reinforced region are a same type of material.
11. The strainer basket of claim 10, wherein the type of material is a nylon material.
12. The strainer basket of claim 9, wherein the flexible material is silicone.
13. The strainer basket of claim 9, wherein the reinforced region comprises one or more stiffening ribs adhered to or molded within the flexible material.
14. A silicone strainer basket for pool equipment, the silicone strainer basket comprising:
- a top portion comprising an annular shape that defines a central opening; and
- a strainer portion connected to the top portion,
- wherein the strainer portion comprises an annular wall extending downward from the top portion and a floor positioned at a lower end of the annular wall such that the strainer portion defines a basket for collection of debris,
- wherein the strainer portion comprises a plurality of openings to allow water to pass therethrough,
- wherein the strainer portion comprises silicone, and the top portion comprises a material having a greater stiffness than the silicone of the strainer portion, and
- wherein at least a portion of the strainer portion comprises a reinforced region comprising a material having a greater stiffness than the silicone of the strainer portion.
15. The silicone strainer basket of claim 14, wherein the material of the top portion that has a greater stiffness than the silicone and the material of the reinforced region that has a greater stiffness than the silicone are a same type of material.
16. The silicone strainer basket of claim 15, wherein the type of material is a nylon material.
17. The silicone strainer basket of claim 14, wherein the floor of the strainer portion is the reinforced region.
18. The silicone strainer basket of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the annular wall of the strainer portion is the reinforced region.
19. The silicone strainer basket of claim 14, wherein each of the floor of the strainer portion and the annular wall of the strainer portion comprises a reinforced region comprising a material having a greater stiffness than the silicone of the strainer portion.
20. The silicone strainer basket of claim 14, wherein the reinforced region comprises one or more stiffening ribs adhered to or molded within the silicone.
4325150 | April 20, 1982 | Buddy |
4725352 | February 16, 1988 | Halliotis |
D377249 | January 7, 1997 | Granshaw |
5672271 | September 30, 1997 | Dye |
5830350 | November 3, 1998 | Voss et al. |
5840188 | November 24, 1998 | Kirsgalvis |
5862541 | January 26, 1999 | Mailhot |
5888386 | March 30, 1999 | Enright et al. |
5989421 | November 23, 1999 | Davis |
6592756 | July 15, 2003 | Felix, Jr. et al. |
6716342 | April 6, 2004 | Tilsner |
6979401 | December 27, 2005 | Porter |
D550805 | September 11, 2007 | Hazlehurst |
D557374 | December 11, 2007 | Pecca |
7314553 | January 1, 2008 | Barbe |
D600324 | September 15, 2009 | Vreeland |
D620999 | August 3, 2010 | Vreeland |
7815797 | October 19, 2010 | Keith |
D649220 | November 22, 2011 | Vreeland |
D694851 | December 3, 2013 | Solakian |
D720960 | January 13, 2015 | Ko et al. |
D749706 | February 16, 2016 | Johansen |
9260877 | February 16, 2016 | Lopez |
D766656 | September 20, 2016 | MacInnis et al. |
D824009 | July 24, 2018 | Kim et al. |
10029932 | July 24, 2018 | King et al. |
10138644 | November 27, 2018 | Piepenburg |
D868206 | November 26, 2019 | Carrière et al. |
10722827 | July 28, 2020 | Hetzner |
10890005 | January 12, 2021 | Ramos |
11111163 | September 7, 2021 | Carley et al. |
11266929 | March 8, 2022 | Hetzner |
D948825 | April 12, 2022 | Tsui |
11332951 | May 17, 2022 | Jackson |
D967328 | October 18, 2022 | Speak |
11499329 | November 15, 2022 | Schmidt |
20030196950 | October 23, 2003 | Kraft |
20040045895 | March 11, 2004 | Bonelli et al. |
20080073257 | March 27, 2008 | Foley |
20080230462 | September 25, 2008 | Curtin |
20090243318 | October 1, 2009 | Pratt |
20100122949 | May 20, 2010 | Van Der Meijden et al. |
20140263101 | September 18, 2014 | Voss Weyman |
20150343349 | December 3, 2015 | Wells et al. |
20150354242 | December 10, 2015 | Saccoccio et al. |
20160010353 | January 14, 2016 | Giroux et al. |
20160023138 | January 28, 2016 | Kurani |
20210017782 | January 21, 2021 | Jackson |
20220055922 | February 24, 2022 | Mendez et al. |
20220119291 | April 21, 2022 | Murphy |
202013309 | September 2020 | AU |
202015212 | December 2020 | AU |
202016684 | January 2021 | AU |
202016686 | January 2021 | AU |
0531636 | July 2020 | ES |
WO 2018/195591 | November 2018 | WO |
WO 2020/227021 | November 2020 | WO |
- International Search Report and Written Opinion for application No. PCT/US2020/030792, dated Aug. 7, 2020, in 9 pages.
- U.S. Appl. No. 29/717,382, filed Feb. 17, 2019, Hetzner.
Type: Grant
Filed: Jan 26, 2022
Date of Patent: Aug 1, 2023
Patent Publication Number: 20220395769
Inventor: Jess L. Hetzner (Temecula, CA)
Primary Examiner: Fred Prince
Application Number: 17/585,313
International Classification: B01D 29/25 (20060101); E04H 4/12 (20060101); B01D 35/30 (20060101);